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UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Alice Edwards said on Thursday she was alarmed Torture allegations against former Ecuadorian Vice President Jorge Glas and asked to be treated humanely and with dignity in the prison where he is being held.

Glas was arrested in April after Ecuadorian security forces broke into the Mexican embassy in Quitowhere he took refuge after asking for asylum, causing Mexico to cut ties with the South American country.

“I am concerned by medical and other reports that it is believed that Mr. Glas was tortured, including dislocated thumbs, lacerations on the wrists from excessive use of handcuffs, and bruises and bruises on the arms, hips and chest consistent with physical blows,” Edwards said in a statement.

Glass has long argued that the charges against him are politically motivated, and his legal team is pressuring current President Daniel Noboa to give him grant safe passage and proceed to Mexico.

The Special Rapporteur also expressed concern about the conditions in which Glas will be held in the La Roca maximum security prison in the city of Guayaquil.

“According to the information received, Glas will be kept in a small cell without windows, for up to 23 hours a day and without significant social contact. Electricity restrictions mean his cell is only lit for a few hours at night. According to the information received, the cell will be unsanitary.”

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“These conditions do not meet international standards,” he added.

“I am particularly concerned that Mr. Glass’s physical and psychological health may be seriously compromised by the conditions in which he is being held,” Edwards said.

“In addition, I remind the government and prison authorities that solitary confinement should only be used in exceptional cases and that prolonged isolation of more than 15 days is a form of torture.”

Glas’ lawyer Sonya Vera stated in X that it was It is essential that Ecuador guarantees the rights and well-being of the former vice president.

Glas served as vice president of Ecuador from 2013 to 2017. He was convicted twice on corruption charges and sentenced to six years in prison in 2017 and eight years in 2020. Following his parole in November 2022, the National Court ordered a new arrest warrant in 2024 related to corruption, which he denies. Mexico granted him political asylum after he asked for asylum at its embassy in Quito.

Edwards also expressed concern about attack by Ecuadorian security forces on the Mexican embassy in violation of the principle of inviolability of diplomatic facilities, which was also stated by the Government of Ecuador.

The Special Rapporteur has written to the Government of Ecuador and contacted Germany, where Glas is a citizen, and Mexico and will continue to monitor developments in the case.

According to Reuters